Torres Takes Long-Awaited Turn in Spotlight

Ten years ago, there was no place for a mixed martial artist like Miguel Torres.

From no weight divisions to many, the sport's rapid evolution has allowed for a much wider cross section of athletes to participate. One such fighter is Chicago's Torres.

Fighting at 135 pounds, the lanky bantamweight, ranked ninth in the world by Sherdog.com, finally has an opportunity to showcase his skills thanks to World Extreme Cagefighting's focus on lighter divisions. Wednesday in Albuquerque, N.M., Torres fights WEC 135-pound champion Chase Beebe (Pictures) live on the Versus network.

Torres, 27, spoke to Sherdog.com about the title shot and its implications for the former Carlson Gracie Sr. student's increasingly popular division.